Tomato and Goat Cheese Couscous Bake

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the conventional oven to 200°C (400°F). Use regular fine or medium quick-cooking couscous, rather than pearl couscous, and soft goat cheese labeled suitable for vegetarians. Drain and rinse the chickpeas; the listed weight is the drained weight from approximately two 400 g cans.

2. 2

   Rinse the tomatoes and spinach. Cut the tomatoes into 2 cm chunks, keeping their juice, roughly chop the spinach and finely chop the garlic.

3. 3

   In a 3.5-litre oven-safe baking dish, mix the dry couscous, chickpeas, spinach, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in the cold vegetable stock and any tomato juice, then spread evenly. Distribute the tomato chunks over the surface and crumble the goat cheese on top.

4. 4

   Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake on the middle rack at 200°C (400°F) for 35 minutes.

5. 5

   Carefully remove the foil, releasing the steam away from you. Bake uncovered at the same temperature for another 10 minutes, until the couscous is tender, the tomatoes have softened and the cheese is beginning to turn golden. Check that the center reaches 74°C (165°F) with a food thermometer; continue baking in 5-minute intervals if needed.

6. 6

   Let stand for 5 minutes so the couscous absorbs the remaining moisture. Gently fluff around the cheese with a fork and divide into four portions.